Starting this summer, passengers of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will be able to pay for bus and subway rides directly by swiping credit cards or using mobile payment apps.
Currently, in New York City, passengers can board buses and subways without a ticket by swiping their credit cards or using mobile payment apps. After a delay of six years, MBTA finally put this on the agenda on May 23 this year.
During a board meeting that day, MBTA General Manager Philip Eng stated that they will launch the first phase of the new fare system this summer.
By the end of the summer, passengers will be able to swipe credit cards or use mobile payment apps on buses and subways. Additionally, ticket machines will be installed at all doors of buses and Green Line subways to allow passengers to board from any door.
However, the Mattapan Line trolley is excluded from this phase of the fare system update and will introduce the new system by the end of this year.
According to the schedule presented at the Thursday meeting, MBTA will introduce a new version of the CharlieCard and related mobile applications in spring 2025, and upgrade ticket vending machines at stations. By spring 2026, commuters on MBTA trains and ferries will also be able to board by swiping credit cards or using mobile payment apps.
The contract for updating the fare system of MBTA is undertaken by Cubic Corporation of San Diego and financial expert John Laing of the UK. The total price of the current contract is $926 million, a reduction of about $41 million from the 2020 quote. However, due to the delayed launch of the new fare system, MBTA had to spend an additional $40 million for temporary maintenance of old machines.
“Contactless payment to board buses and subways is right around the corner. This is not only for our daily passengers but will also facilitate tourists in using our system better, and we are very excited about this,” said Philip Eng.
While introducing the contactless payment method, MBTA will also temporarily keep the cash payment interface.
Furthermore, MBTA has hired 16 ticket inspectors. Starting this winter, they will monitor the fare situation on buses and the Green Line subway and issue fines to fare evaders. The first-time offender will receive a written warning, and subsequent offenses will incur a $50 fine. If a person evades fare 5 times or more in 3 years, they will be fined $100 each time.